1794 BATTLE OF THE GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE MEDAL

An extremely rare gold medal commemorating the victory of the British Fleet at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars is to be sold at Bonhams Medals, Bond, Banknotes and Coins sale in London on 23 March. It is estimated at £140,000-160,000.

The medal was awarded to Admiral Lord Graves as captain of HMS The Royal Sovereign and was one of only seven large gold medals struck to mark the victory.

Bonhams Director of Coins and Medals, John Millensted said, “This is an incredibly scarce and desirable medal in excellent condition and its rarity is reflected in the high estimate. I expect it to have wide appeal to collectors all over the world.”

The Battle of the Glorious First of June was the culmination of months of indecisive skirmishing between the British Navy and the Atlantic Fleet of Revolutionary France. The encounter was sparked by British attempts to prevent a grain convoy from America reaching France. The population was facing the threat of starvation as a result of poor harvests and the successful blockading of many French ports.

Although both sides suffered losses and the grain convoy got through, the victory - both on the day and in the longer term - belonged to the Royal Navy. The French fleet limped back to its home port of Brest in Brittany and was blockaded there until the French Revolutionary Wars finally ended in 1802. The defeat inflicted severe damage on the prestige of the French Navy in the eyes of the country’s military command and led to a gradual decline that culminated in comprehensive defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

To read the complete article, see:
Exceptionally rare naval large gold medal for sale at Bonhams (http://artdaily.com/news/85857/Exceptionally-rare-naval-large-gold-medal-for-sale-at-Bonhams#.Vu28FfkrKhc)

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